Brief Insight about the Update of Google’s Broad Core Algorithm

Search engine giant’s latest announcement on core update that came on 1st August left most of the SEO professionals all over the world confused and unhappy to some extent. Before dwelling into the topic, let’s check out what Google announced –

“This week we released a broad core algorithm update, as we do several times per year. Our guidance about such updates remains the same as in March, as we covered here:

Each day, Google usually releases one or more changes designed to improve our results. Some are focused around specific improvements. Some are broad changes. Last week, we released a broad core algorithm update. We do these routinely several times per year….”

So, what is this Core Update all about?

It is needless to mention that Google being one of the largest search engines make innumerable algorithm updates every year. The changes often come on a daily basis. The basic intention of all these updates is to address the specific faults or issues that restrict the smooth running of the algorithms. In most of the previous updates from Google, they let the customers informed and tried accomplishing the update.

But Core Update is Different

To understand the update, it is more like a tweak or change to the main search algorithm itself. Ranking factors lie between 200 and 500 signals. Through core update, Google has tried tweaking the significance, order, and values of the signals.

Because of the same, the search engine giant has not come to the forefront and disclosed the secret of the update.

One convenient way to visualize the same is to consider 200 factors listed as per their importance.

Now consider the fact that the search engine is changing the order of 42 of all those 200 ranking factors. Of course, it will cause a shift in the rankings, but it will be because of numerous reasons and not because of any one factor.

Have a look at the more complicated example of what Google would disclose –

“In this core update, we increased the value of keywords in H1 tags by 2%, increased the value of HTTPS by 18%, decreased the value of keyword in title tag by 9%, changed the D value in our PageRank calculation from .85 to .70, and started using a TF-iDUF retrieval method for logged in users instead of the traditional TF-PDF method.”

The explanation might be intimidating for most of the starters.

In simple terms, Google might be up to changing the way they used to measure the significance of pages or the way the algorithms used to calculate the weight of the links in the PageRank.

In a nutshell, Google is all set to change the significance as well as the weight of different ranking factors.

How to Combat with the Core Update?

As compared to other major updates that target only specific things, core update might tweak the values of everything.

Since, the sites gain importance or priority over other sites relevant to the query made by the online user, one possible reason the rank of the website drop could be completely different from the reasons for the change in the ranking of someone else’s.

To make it simple, Google is yet to disclose the combating measure for the update because it would be different for every website as well as a search query. It entirely depends on how others are trying to rank for the query.

The one sigh of relief is that this update will not penalize you for anything. It is more like rewarding some other site with more for something else.

Remember, finding that something else that comes as a great help for the adversaries won’t be that easy. But this is something that will keep the SEO professionals in the game.

Few core tips to conquer core update –

follow guidelines of Google

focus on quality content

emphasis on the user intent

ensure clean architecture

Last but not the least, don’t stop improving the site once you attain the top position because the site ranking on #2 will never stop working to fetch the top spot.

You should know, SEO was never that east.

Author’s Bio – Tom Clark is a well-known digital marketer and a diligent SEO consultant. He maintains a close check on every single update from Google and brings his analysis on the same. His lessons are not only helpful for the companies offering eCommerce website development services in India but also for many SEO professionals. He writes his blogs and journals to maintain the best service o the clients.